Lotus: Hungary will reveal true performance level

After a disappointing British Grand Prix weekend, which was capped when both drivers were forced out following a first lap collision, the Enstone-based outfit has been looking for answers as to why it was not more competitive.

Lotus deputy team principal Federico Gastaldi is hoping that what happened at Silverstone was down more to tyre compounds, wind and high-speed track characteristics than a long-term trend.

Reflecting on the British GP weekend, Gastaldi said: “Looking at the weekend as a whole, we weren’t able to show the pace we’ve seen at most venues this season.

"Budapest should highlight if this was just a characteristic of the Silverstone circuit or if our rivals have stolen a march on us.”

Better but more to come

Although Lotus is back to scoring regular points, Gastaldi believes there is still room for improvement before the outfit can feel satisfied with the job it is doing.

“In terms of performance, when you look at where we were last year it’s clear we’ve taken a big step forward,” he said.

“When you look at where we were two or three years ago, it’s clear we have potential for further improvement.

"With the car we can make some progress in the areas of speed and reliability, but that is always the case; you always want the car to be faster and to never break down or have any issue.”